And so it begins

Typing this makes it become a reality.

I suppose I should start from the quasi-beginning of this story by including what I wrote just a few days ago:

This morning, I had one of those moments of clarity. While driving to work, listening to Bright Eyes' Road To Joy, I saw a hearse for sale.

Immediately I was brought back to being fifteen, seeing one for sale downtown & so desperately wanting it, much to my parents' constant chagrin [tis the story of many oddball things about young Nicole]

I remembered the feeling of being able to do anything, anywhere, anytime.

I feel like I've written something similar to this before. Hell, I'm sure I have.

Regardless, this morning, the gears started turning & I've decided that I want [at this present moment] to travel around the country, visiting Communities & seeing all the beauty I've yet to experience. Not 'someday,' but soon.

A series of other events brought me to this point. Two weeks ago, I found a growth where one did not belong, immediately thought I was going to die from ass cancer, without insurance, very young, etc etc etc. As my mind raced & the tears streamed, I realized I was not upset about dying, but rather, by the notion of not having fully lived.

Oh. I guess I should tell you that I'm not dying, aside from that pest of humans being in the constant state of dying. For $99, I got to have an MD & a young, attractive med student tell me 'wow...I've never seen anything like that before' before telling me my diagnosis. Hurrah.

So yes. I intend to continue with my goal of being debt-free by May, at which point, I will begin to solidify my plans [as solidfied as a journey almost wholly-based on faith can be] 

I am almost twenty-four, unmarried, without offspring & without direction.

What could be better than a road trip?

--

An earnest nod to both  Shane Claiborne  & Scott Claassen, without whom, I would have less imagination. 

Over the past few days after publicly posting this, I've had a whirlwind of emotions, thoughts, concerns...but never doubts. Any potential issue that I come up with I earnestly believe a solution will come about.

This trip will likely not take place until 2013, but for now, in order to keep it alive, I've decided to put the process in written form.

So, here we go...